Scrapie Incidence and PRNP Polymorphisms: Rare Small Ruminant Breeds of Sicily with TSE Protecting Genetic Reservoirs

Overview

Journal BMC Vet Res

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2016 Jul 16

PMID 27417309

Citations 11

Authors

Maria Vitale

Sergio Migliore

Maria La Giglia

Placido Alberti

Vincenzo Di Marco Lo Presti

Jan P M Langeveld

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases of several mammalian species, including humans. In Italy, the active surveillance through rapid tests on brain stem from small ruminants started in 2002 on randomly selected samples of healthy slaughtered animals. Sampling number was proportionally related to the regional small ruminant population. Of the twenty Italian regions, Sicily has the second largest population of small ruminants which is mainly constituted by crossbreed animals (>70 %). Sicily contains also three native sheep breeds Pinzirita, Comisana and Valle del Belice. Native goat breeds are Girgentana, Messinese, Argentata dell'Etna, Maltese and Rossa Mediterranea. The polymorphisms of prion protein gene (PRNP) may influence disease susceptibility and breeding programs for genetic TSE resistance are being applied in sheep. Protective alleles have been recently reported for goats also. These differ from those in sheep and may allow breeding programs in the near future. In this paper the data of active surveillance for scrapie control in general population of small ruminants in Sicily are reported together with the analysis on the polymorphism of PRNP in a number of Sicilian autochthonous breeds. The evaluation of the frequency of protective alleles is fundamental for the implementation of a TSE resistance breeding program.

Results: TSE surveillance in small ruminants in Sicily showed a of total fifty seven scrapie outbreaks from 1997 to 2014 involving mainly crossbreed animals. The PRNP polymorphism analysis in autochthonous breeds showed protective allele frequencies of 30-40 % ARR in sheep and 12-18 % K222 in three of the four goat breeds; these breeds are distributed over limited areas of the island.

Conclusion: The study on PRNP polymorphisms in Sicilian small ruminant population showed higher frequency of the protective alleles compared to most other European breeds. Our results suggest that PRNP genetic variety in Sicilian sheep and goats can be a resource for TSE resistance breeding programmes while maintaining the conservation of endangered breeds and valorisation of their typical food products.

Citing Articles

Large-scale serological survey on subsp. infection in sheep and goat herds in Sicily, Southern Italy.

Presti V, Ippolito D, Migliore S, Tolone M, Mignacca S, Marino A Front Vet Sci. 2024; 11:1334036.

PMID: 38362298 PMC: 10868524. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1334036.

Genetic Polymorphism at 15 Codons of the Prion Protein Gene in 156 Goats from Romania.

Gurau M, Negru E, Ionescu T, Udriste A, Cornea C, Baraitareanu S Genes (Basel). 2022; 13(8).

PMID: 35893054 PMC: 9394368. DOI: 10.3390/genes13081316.

Alternative Molecular Tools for the Fight against Infectious Diseases of Small Ruminants: Native Sicilian Sheep Breeds and Maedi-Visna Genetic Susceptibility.

Tumino S, Tolone M, Galluzzo P, Migliore S, Sechi T, Bordonaro S Animals (Basel). 2022; 12(13).

PMID: 35804527 PMC: 9264923. DOI: 10.3390/ani12131630.

Diagnostic Findings in a Confirmed Outbreak of Infection in a Traditional Sheep Farm in Sicily (South-Italy).

Galluzzo P, Migliore S, Cascio S, Barreca S, Alfano M, Tagliarini A Pathogens. 2021; 10(11).

PMID: 34832627 PMC: 8618822. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111472.

Scrapie Control in EU Goat Population: Has the Last Gap Been Overcome?.

Migliore S, Puleio R, Loria G Front Vet Sci. 2020; 7:581969.

PMID: 33134362 PMC: 7550459. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.581969.

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